Fall is definitely conference season. With SQL Saturday Orlando last weekend and PASS Summit 2014 the first week of November, what could be more fun that squeezing in another SQL Saturday in between?

With Charlotte being nearby, as well as a BI-focused event that I’d intended in the past, it seemed like a no-brainer to make the drive up to check it up for its 3rd year running. So, Friday after work, I hopped in the car and made the drive up to beautiful Charlotte, NC to attend my 13th SQL Saturday!

Unfortunately, with October being a very busy month as is, I didn’t have time to attend anything but the main event itself, but such is the way of the busiest month of the year!

I arrived at the site of the 3rd SQL Saturday Charlotte, Central Piedmont Community College, bright and early Saturday morning. As per usual, signage to parking was very clear and check-in with a pre-printed speedpass was a breeze.

Sponsors were arranged in a long row throughout the center of the building and were very easily accessible while moving between sessions. Seemed like a good representation of sponsors with a few I hadn’t seen before and excellent raffle prizes.

The morning kicked off with a short presentation in the auditorium to introduce the organizers and sponsors as well as logistics for the day. With the conclusion of the opening remarks, we were off to start the day of sessions!

Opening remarks at SQL Saturday #330

My first session of the day was a fully packed room for Joe Dib’s (B | T) presenting on “The Data Management Discipline.” Joe gave a great overview of some of the core concepts of DAMA (Data Management International) which I’ll admit, I didn’t even know was a thing prior. DAMA is to Data Professionals as PMI and the PMBOK is to Project Managers.

Joe Dib presenting on The Data Management Discipline

Following Joe’s session, I attended Leveat Ruse’s (B | T) “Building a Compelling IT Resume” session in which he covered common resume mistakes and pitfalls as well as a number of good tips. As someone who frequently reviews resumes, this was great information.

Leveat Ruse presenting on Building a Compelling IT Resume

Lunch for the event consisted of BBQ pulled pork and ribs as well as a number of sides. Unfortunately, there were some supply issues toward the end of the line, so there were some shortages initially. I believe they got these resolved eventually with more food, but some folks didn’t get any BBQ as a result. Sponsors presented sessions during lunch, which is always a nice option to have while eating.

After enjoying lunch, I attended Bryant Byrd’s (B | T) “Source Control with MSBI Solutions.” Bryant makes an excellent point that even though most BI projects are made up of source code, source control, such as TFS, is rarely used. I agree completely, something I need more work with!

Bryant Byrd presenting on Source Control with MSBI Solutions

Jason Hall’s (B | T) “Launching Your Career in Data Management” was next on my lineup. As we were beginning the session, we were interrupted by a fire alarm. Best guess it that the popcorn that was being popped as a snack for the event may have set it off. So, we got to enjoy an unscheduled break outside in the pleasant fall weather as the fire trucks came by to give us the all clear.

Following the fire drill, Jason picked back up where he left off and gave a very encouraging presentation for folks looking to transition more into data management with some excellent tips and pointers for making the jump.

Jason Hall presenting on Launching Your Career in Data Management

The crowd filing out for an afternoon fire alarm at SQL Saturday #330

Matt Papes and Melissa Street presented “Micro(soft) Management at its Best” which was the final session for me of the day. The presentation was largely determined based on the questions of the audience, so it was very informal, but still some good information to be had.

Matt Pape and Melissa Street presenting on Microsoft Management at its Best

As per usual with SQL Saturday events, the day ended with closing comments given by the organizers as well as prize raffles from the organizers and sponsors. The event was very well run (especially considering the small organization staff) and filled with great information. I look forward to attending future SQL Saturdays in Charlotte put on by the Charlotte BI group.